August 2013
This is where you are, but… | THIS is where you WANT to be… |
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People attend meetings, but they clearly aren’t working together nor are they working toward the same goals.Some people are overly cautious and quiet while others are playing a silent game of tug-o-war. | Problems, both spoken and unspoken, are discussed and effectively dealt with so that the team may focus on the tasks at hand. Additional evidence of improved communication can be seen by alleviating tension, as well as stressing joint camaraderie and vision. There are measurable reductions in the change timelines and expenses. |
We have a clear vision of what our end results should look like, but we don’t have a step by step process on how to get there. We don’t have a process to get our people to buy into our vision. | Leaders, managers, and employees possess the skills necessary to navigate the ten stages of change which will help them be more creative and productive sooner. When people become aligned around and supportive of a common vision, their ability to embrace change increases. |
This change process is creating challenges between management and employees that I’ve never encountered before. | Leadership knows what employees need based on what they say and on which stage in the change process they are in. Leaders will know how to motivate or assist employees through all ten stages of the change process. Alternate solutions to management/employee challenges are found with effective techniques and clear results. Individual, group and organization performance will be measurably improved. |
Leadership is making haphazard, uncalculated short-term decisions in order to ‘put out the fires.’ Reactive rather than proactive problem solving is not the approach we want to use, but leadership does not yet have the skills or knowledge to effectively implement any other approach. | Management/leadership has a definite grasp of what behaviors to look for and what to say in various situations to elicit desired results. Communication and effectiveness are improved between management and staff. Bottom line objectives are met or exceeded. |
Leadership Skills Necessary to Support Change
Over and over people bemoan, “Things are changing faster than ever.” Changes in what we do, how we do it, and who we do it with can leave employees out of breath and overwhelmed. Because employees often feel caught in the middle of all of these changes, leadership needs to know what employees are experiencing and what to do to assist them. All will benefit when guided respectfully through the predictable reactions to the various stages of change. The reactions may include conditions such as debilitating stress, poor morale, attitudes of non-commitment, and reactionary impulses, just to name a few.
The ineffective “olden days” when top leadership mandated, “Jump!”, and all employees responded with, “How high?” are gone. Companies nowadays have to change their focus quickly to excel through these more complex times. From the mass production models of the industrial revolution to today’s technology-based, high-speed information systems to the rapid-fire future issues of our global economy that are just around the corner, it behooves all of us to find a systematic way to grow ourselves and our people. The secret is to take the time to realign, rebuild, and recharge our departments and divisions, as well as to empower and revitalize those seemingly tired, angry employees to go forward, step up, and successfully meet the challenges that come with any change. Experiencing any major change process, like a merger, for example, is similar to experiencing a surgery. Like with surgery, every decision that is made before, during, or closely after the experience will likely do one of two things: move you closer to your vision (in the case of a merger, your vision would likely be to increase your market share as a result of the merger) or spiral your condition downward quickly. Spiraling downward quickly after a merger because you let things get out of hand could rapidly cost your company precious time, money, customers, and staff resources. You especially want to make wise, careful choices at these times.
Let me show you today how you can increase your market share by implementing these three crucial elements:
- Leading, managing, and coaching employees through the ten stages of change; understanding the behaviors that individuals and groups go through during a major change process and the management techniques necessary for meeting your objectives.
- Leading and managing people through feedback.
- Creating buy-in; giving your people a voice so they will develop the intrinsic ownership of the vision which will be necessary for a successful merger.